Ayelet Hashahar

The young woman killed in Thursday's tragic terror attack was Ayelet Hashahar Levy, 28, the daughter of National Religious Party chairman, Yitzhak Levy. At the time she was moving into an apartment on the street, and it was her moving truck that blocked the path of the car bomber. If not for that truck, the car bomber may have been able to get closer to the center of the marketplace, and on a Thursday afternoon, it is very crowded. What a massive catastrophe that would have been!

"Ayelet Hashahar" is the Psalm associated with the Queen Esther, when she was going to approach the king on behalf of the Jewish people. She had not been summoned and knew that she would be killed if the king did not extend the scepter to her. As she walked to the throne room, she had to pass through a corridor lined with idols; she felt the absence of G-d's presence and said: "My G-d, my G-d, why hast thou forsaken me?" The danger was very real, and she was putting herself in the way, just as Ayelet Hashahar Levy's moving truck was in the way.

There were many striking parallels:
~ Like Esther, Ayelet Hashahar Levy was an adopted daughter.
~ Just as the king didn't know Queen Esther was Jewish for many years, for a period of time there was confusion as to the identity of the victims of the bombing.
~ The enemy in the book of Esther was an Agagite, descended from the King of Amalek; these were the "dogs" that "surrounded her". The terrorists that sought to kill masses of Jewish people were, too, behaving in a way attributed to Amalek.
~ The Midrash on Psalm 22 says Queen Esther's garments were divided among the servants; Ayelet Hashahar's belongings were on the moving truck.
~ Just as Queen Esther was in the way of danger to save the Jewish people, Ayelet Hashahar was literally in the way and saved countless lives.

There is also a parallel between the Psalm Ayelet HaShahar and the Haphtorah of parshat Noach. There is a common feeling of loneliness and fear of a young wife deserted, of the shame and despair. At the same time, there is the consolation, the faith that G-d does not leave her, that He takes her case when all others may be against her. Ayelet Hashahar says: "The meek shall eat and be satisfied"; Haphtorah Noach says: "and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." The reassuring promises resound through both passages. As the Haphtorah's comfort speaks to all generations of Israel, Ayelet Hashahar declares: "They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this."
Noach Week in Review

The Psalm Ayelet Hashahar is praise of G-d, in spite of danger. It is a song proclaiming that He "inhabits the praises of Israel." The danger--to our bodies and our property--is very real, but G-d is more real. The enemy may be all around, but the song of faith chooses to believe in the salvation of G-d, in His ultimate deliverance and victory. Ayelet Hashahar proclaims that G-d brought us forth from birth, and it is He we rely upon. From this we also see a hint of G-d's knowledge of our souls BEFORE birth.

In the esoteric teachings of Judaism, we are told that our souls make a contract before birth. We have certain things that we must accomplish in order to achieve our purpose in this life. When Esther hesitated, fearing her fate, Mordechai said to her: "Who knows but that you were put into this place for just such an occasion." While the parallels with our present day Ayelet Hashahar are striking, of course, she didn't consciously choose to die in such a way. However, she is still a heroine of Israel, who put herself in the way of the danger. This, in my opinion, her soul was of the caliber of Queen Esther, and her name was proclamation that this should not go unnoticed. Every Jew desires that his life and his death should be an honor to G-d on this earth. Ayelet Hashahar's was truly a case of Kiddush Hashem--sanctification of G-d's Name.